The CDU branch in Lower Saxony has formally accused federal defense minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) of campaigning for a party associate while at a Bundeswehr barracks. Marcus Mohrmann, the CDU General Secretary in Lower Saxony, stated to the newspaper “Bild” that he expects a defense minister not to provide “such cheap campaign help for a party friend” in front of a military installation, emphasizing that such behavior is unacceptable.
The controversy stems from a video produced on July 16 at the Niedersachsen barracks in Celle. In the video, Minister Pistorius openly recommended Olav Mangel, an SPD candidate for the mayoral race in Winsen/Aller. Mangel’s competitor is Burkhard Hoppenstedt, who is a Captain in the Bundeswehr.
The Ministry of Defense commented on the appearance and the accusations but firmly rejected them. The ministry confirmed to “Bild” that the meeting between Pistorius and the SPD politician Olav Mangel was not part of the planned military visits and took place off the official property of the Bundeswehr or the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg). According to the statement, both politicians used Pistorius’s time in the Celle region for a personal meeting outside the range of the minister’s official duties. Therefore, Pistorius attended the meeting in his capacity as an SPD politician.
